Update on arms

It is several months since I signed off work, it is seven weeks since I returned to it, and almost 3 weeks since I saw a physiotherapist. So how are things going?

Well, I think I can mainly summarise things with the word "slowly". I am diligently doing my exercises, and I still work my computer by voice. So it would be nice if things improved, but progress is barely perceptible. I can still feel my arms all through the day, and doing the merest things with my computer is still painful (and unavoidable, as, for instance, if the software crashes, which happens now and then, you have to sort the situation out by hand).

I have been thinking of testing out if my arms are already good for cycling. I suspect not! But you don't know until you try. The problem is just that the last few weekends have been characterised by frost, strong winds, heavy rain, or some unpleasant combination of these factors. I know I can bike a few minutes to the other side of town; what I want to know is if I can bike all the way to, for instance, Ogwen cottage, without feeling like I am making the situation with my arms worse. That would increase my radius! And if I could bike all the way to places like Bangor or Capel Curig, I could go there to exercise with friends who live on the other side of places like that. We are only allowed to see people for exercise, which has to start from home, so that limits one's radius a bit. And if I am not confident biking, I can pretty much only exercise with other people who live here in the village.

An additional factor here, course, is that I now have a cat, whom I feel I do not give sufficient attention during the week, so I want to spend some time on her during weekends. That doesn't help the situation with me not trying out my bike. But I am sure the time will come! And in the meantime I just continue with my exercises, and hope for the best. In early March I will speak to the physiotherapist again. Unfortunately, this time it will (again) only the phone call, and yet another person. The physiotherapist I saw last time will be on Covid duties. But we'll see what they say! I would really want to get back to normal. It would be nice to just be able to use my arms for whatever pleases me without thinking too much about it…